Device for imparting horizontally oscillatory rotating movement to articles



A ril 9, 1968 REIJIRO ITO 3,377,578

DEVICE FOR IMPARTING H ORIZONTALLY OSCILLATOHY ROTATING MOVEMENT TO ARTICLES Original Filed Aug. 30, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR REI J l R0 ITO ATTORNEYS 3,377,578 ORY Apnl 9, 1968 REIJIRO ITO DEVICE FOR IMPARTING HORIZONTALLY OSCILLAT G MOVEMENT TO ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet ROTATIN Original Filed Aug. 30, 1965 FIG. 2

IOI HO M m M Er 1 m iw 4 m 2 W w w m H I M I 1 B 7% 7 INVENTOR REIJ I RO ITO ATTORNEYS A ril 9, 1968 REIJIRO ITO 3,377,578

DEVICE FOR IMPARTING HORIZONTALLY OSCILLATORY MOVEMENT TO ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet J) ROTATING Original Filed Aug. 30, 1965 INVENTOR RE I J l R0 ITO BY A ORNEYS United States Patent Ofiiice ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for imparting horizontal oscillatory movement to display articles including an outer oscillator carrying a display article thereon and suspended from suspension means having poor torque transmitting characteristics, and an inner oscillator rotatably disposed within the outer oscillator. The inner oscillator carrying further display articles thereon. Resilient means disposed coaxially with the suspending means and connecting the inner and outer oscillators. A permanent magnet provided on one of the oscillators and an electromagnet provided on the other oscillator in opposition with said permanent magnet in a rest position and means to selectively energize the electromagnet to exert a repulsive force on the permanent magnet to cause relative rotation of the oscillators.

The present application constitutes a division of my copending application Ser. No. 483,404, filed Aug. 30, 1965, now issued as Patent 3,325,759.

This invention relates to improvements in a device for imparting horizontally oscillatory rotating movement to articles.

Conventional devices for imparting movement to articles of advertisement such as articles of commerce, outdoor signboards and chandeliers have been provided with power supply means consisting of an electric motor and a reduction gearing of complex structure and have therefore encountered various operating difficulties including a problem of providing successful wear resisting means in a turntable and reduction gears and a problem of overheat in the motor due to continuous operation for an elongated period of time. In order to deal with these difliculties, conventional devices of the kind described have necessarily become complex in their structure, required a high cost of manufacture and required troublesome procedures for the proper maintenance thereof.

Difficulties have been encountered especially with a device for imparting movement to outdoor signs in which case breakage of its reduction gearing or overheat of its electric motor has frequently taken place due to overload by wind and thus the device has become uneconomical and has been difficult to put into practical application.

It has been acknowledged that an interesting manner of advertisement can be derived by providing a device which imparts horizontally oscillatory rotating movement opposite to each other to two articles of advertisement, articles of commerce, decorative articles or the like. Howover, due to the fact that such device inevitably requires a complex mechanism including link means, gear means or belt transmission means, requires a high cost of manufacture and is liable to break, this kind of device could not be mass-produced.

The present invention intends to eliminate the prior drawbacks as described above and has one of its objects to provide a device for imparting horizontally oscillatory 3,377,578 Patented Apr. 9, 1968 rotating movement to articles in which a movable sup.- port carrying thereon the articles such as articles of advertisement, articles of commerce or chandeliers is adapted to be moved by the combination of a force of repulsion or attraction between magnets and torsional movement of a resilient body carrying the movable support suspended therefrom so that the movable support is subjected to an interesting movement instead of mere constant-speed rotary movement and thus a great effect of display of the articles of advertisement can be obtained;

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for imparting horizontally oscillatory rotating movement to articles in which a resilient suspension system is provided to support the movable support carrying thereon the articles such as articles of advertisement whereby load on the bearings for the movable support is reduced and the device of simple structure and of long service life can positively be utilized for use with outdoor signboards and the like.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for imparting horizontally oscillatory rotating movement to articles in which the movable support acting as an inner oscillator is freely rotatably mounted in an outer oscillator and at the same time carried in suspended relation in the outer oscillator by means of a resilient body while the outer oscillator is suspended from a stationary supporting member by means of an inefiective torque transmitting means such as a string or a chain so that the inner and outer oscillators make horizontally oscillatory rotating movement in directions opposite to each other and thus a device imparting a more interesting movement to the articles can be utilized for the purpose of advertisement or room accessories.

According to the present invention, the force for causing the rotary movement of the movable support or the inner and outer oscillators is generated by a combination of a force of repulsion or attraction between a per-manent magnet or a magnetic body and an instantaneously energized electromagnet and a force of restitution of a resilient body against torsion. Therefore, power consumption is extremely small and rotary oscillation can be continued for a long period of time even with a source of power supply in the form of a battery.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a sectional view through one embodiment of the invention in which two members make horizontally oscillatory rotating movement opposite to each other;

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through an alternate embodiment of the subject invention;

FIG. 3 shows the support elements of the embodiment of the subject invention in a perspective view; and

FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of a portion of the components shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the figures showing two embodiments of the invention, referenceis made to an inner and an outer oscillator adapted to make horizontal oscillations in directions opposite to each other. The inner oscillator in these embodiments is similar to the movable support shown in the embodiments disclosed in applicants copending applications, and the outer oscillator is similar to the support carrying the movable support suspended therefrom by means of a resilient bar. In the present embodiments, however, the outer oscillator is rotatab ly suspended from a suitable weight supporting member by means of an ineffective torque transmitting member such as a string or a chain. I

Referring first to FIG. 1, the device includes an oute oscillator 101 in which a support rod 102 is fixed on a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the oscillator 101. The support rod 102 is rotatably suspended from any suitable weight supporting member 104 such as a ceiling wall by means of an ineffective torque transmitting member 103 such as a string connected to the top end thereof.

An inner oscillator 105 includes a metal frame 106 and a wooden frame 108. Terminals 107 are fixed at opposite ends of the frame 106 as by caulking, while terminals 109 are fixed at opposite ends of the frame 108 to receive therebetween two batteries 110. A hearing 111 is provided in the inner oscillator 105 on a vertical line passing substantially through the center of gravity of the oscillator 105, and the support rod 102 of the outer oscillator 101 loosely fits in this bearing 111 so that the outer and inneroscillators 101 and 105 can make horizontal rotation relative to each other. A resilient bar mounting member 112 is fixed to the lower end of the inner oscillator 105, and a resilient bar 113 which has its upper end secured to the lower end of the support rod 102 is fixed at its lower end to this mounting member 112 so as to support the inner oscillator 105 in the outer oscillator 101 by the resilient bar 113.

A permanent magnet 114 is provided on a suitable outer peripheral portion of the inner oscillator 105, and an electromagnet 115 is disposed on the outer oscillator 101 in opposed relation with respect to the magnet 114. Contacts 116 and 117 are provided on the inner and outer oscillators 105 and 101, respectively. The disposition of these magnets and contacts is such that, when the resilient bar 113 comes to its non-twisted state during movement of the inner oscillator 105 relative to the outer oscillator 101, the contacts 116 and 117 are brought into contact and the permanent magnet 114 is opposed by the electromagnet 115.

The negative terminal of the battery 110 is connected to one end of an exciting coil-for the electromagnet 115 through the metal frame 106 of the inner oscillator 105, resilient bar mounting member 112, resilient bar 113, support rod 102 ad lead 118, while the terminal 109 resiliently contacting the positive terminal of the battery 110 is connected to the other end of the exciting coil for the electromagnet 115 through a lead 119 and contacts 116 and 117.

When now the resilient bar 113 is in its nontwisted state so that the permanent magnet 114 is opposed by the electromagnet 115 and current from the batteries 110 conducts through the contacts 116 and 117 to the electromagnet 115 to create relative force of repulsion between the magnets 114 and 115, the inner oscillator 105' solely will make its horizontal rotation provided that the outer oscillator 101 is fixed. Since-however the outer oscillator 101 is also suspended by the suspending member 103 such as a slender string of nylon which is ineffective for transmitting torsional torque, the outer and inner oscillators 101 and 105 make horizontal-rotation about the support rod 102 in directions opposite to each other.

Due to the fact that the total weight of the inner oscillator 105-is supported by the resilient bar 113 which is connected through the support rod 102 with the suspendin-g member 103 which in turn is suspended from a hangar 120 fixed to the ceiling wall 104, the inner oscillator has no bearing portion subjected to vertical load and its frictional resistance is very small. Therefore, the inner oscillator 105 tends to continue its horizontal rotation by being urged by the force of repulsion between the electromagnet 115 and the permanent magnet 114. However, the resilient bar 113 is twisted by an angle of rotation through which the oscillators have moved relative to each other, while the suspending member 103 is twisted by an angle of rotation through which the outer oscillator 102,.has moved, with the result that forces of restitution against these torsions limit further horizontal rotation of the oscillators -and.urge them to their original positions. Thus the oscillators make their respective horizontal torsional rotations. By the reason that the force of restitution caused in the suspending member 103 is less than that caused in the resilient bar 13, the oscillators 101 and rotate in directions opposite to each other. During their movement of restitution, the permanent magnet 114 and the electromagnet come to oppose to each other and the force of repulsion acting between these magnets imparts drive force to cause rotation of the oscillators. In this manner, the inner and outer oscillators make their horizontally oscillating movement in directions opposite to each other.

Such oscillating movement of the inner and outer oscillators could be a quite interesting movement for viewers. In order to utilize this interesting movement for advertisement, a table 121 of transparent material may be fixed to the lower end of the inner oscillator 105, or a table 124 of transparent material may be suspended by supports 123 of transparent material connected to and extending downwardly from opposite ends of a wooden frame 122 of the outer oscillator 101, and articles of commerce 125 and 126 or a doll 127 may be placed on the tables 121 and 124. Suitable signboards may be attached to the outer and inner oscillators 101 and 105 or an article of commerce may be suspended from the table 121 by a hanger 128 to enhance the advertising elfect.

A block 129 may be provided for the purpose of balancing and improving the moment of inertia of the outer oscillator 101, and an untwisting means 130 may be provided to prevent the suspending member 103 from being twisted off when the outer oscillator 101 should make several turns for any reason, for example, by being hit by something.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 2, anouter 0scillator 101 is suspended from a hanger 120 by a chain 103'. The hanger 120 is fixed at the tip of a bracket 132 secured to a wall 131. In order to counterbalance the weight of a single battery 110, an electromagnet 115 is provided on the periphery of an inner oscillator 105 at a position opposite the battery 110.

In this embodiment, the positive terminal of the battery 110 held on the inner oscillator 105 is connected with one end of an exciting coil for the electromagnet 115 through contact 109, lead 133, bearing 111, support rod 102, lead 134, contacts 117 and 116, and lead 135, while the negative terminal is connected with the other end of the exciting coil through contact 107 and lead 136.

Still another embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 employs a U-shaped support for an outer oscillator in lieu of a bracket fixed to a ceiling or wall. In this embodiment, drive force for causing horizontal rotation of outer and inner oscillators in directions opposite to each other is derived from a force of attraction between an electromagnet and magnetic bodies.

Or more precisely, a support rod 102 for an outer oscillator 101 is suspended by a rubber string 103" from a hanger 120 fixed to the tip of an upper arm 137' of a U-shaped stationary support 137, and a shaft 138 extends downwardly from a lower arm of the outer oscillator 101 so as to be supportedat the lower end in a pivot bearing 139 disposed on a lower arm 137" of the support 137. A

pair of magnetic bodies, for example, a soft iron plate.

140 having a pair of opposite arms 139' and 139 is secured at an outer peripheral portion of an inner oscillator 105, and an electromagnet 115 is provided on the outer oscillator 101 at a position opposite to the soft iron plate 140. Arrangement is such that, when the electromagnet 115 is brought to a position opposite the central portion of the iron plate 140, contacts 116 and 117 are brought into contact with each other to energize the electromagnet 115 and the force of attraction acts between the electromagnet 115 and one of the arms, for example, the arm 139' of the soft iron plate 140 immediately before they oppose to each other so that the oscillators are urged in directions opposite to each other. i

A shaft 141 is fixed at its upper end to the lower end of a resilient bar 113 and at its middle portion to a lower arm of the inner oscillator 105 and extends downwardly to be freely rotatably received at its lower end in a bearing 142 provided on the lower arm of the outer oscillator 101.

It will easily be known that the contact-less switching system utilizing the transistor may be applied to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that, in the device according to the present invention, the drive force for causing rotation of a movable body supporting an article of advertisement, an article of commerce, a chandelier or the like is derived from a combined action of the force of repulsion or attraction imparted by an eletcromagnet and the torsional movement of a resilient body. Therefore, the movable body makes an interesting movement attracting the attention of viewers instead of the conventional constant-speed rotary movement and the resilient suspension system for the article of advertisement, etc. employed in the invention reduces load on the bearing. Thus, the inventive device having a simplified mechanism and a long service life can successfully be used with outdoor signboards. Further, it will be appreciated that, by virtue of extremely low power consumption, power supply means such as a battery can conveniently be used for operation over an extended period of time.

I claim: I

1. A device for imparting horizontally oscillatory rotating movement to articles comprising an outer oscillator suspended by suspending means of poor torque transmitting characteristics, said outer oscillator carrying an article thereon, an inner oscillator disposed rotatably in said outer oscillator, said inner oscillator also carrying an article thereon, resilient means disposed coaxially with said suspending means for connecting said inner oscillator with said outer oscillator, a permanent magnet provided on one of said oscillators, and an electromagnet provided on the other oscillator, means to energize said electromagnet at a suitable time during the movement of said oscillators relative to each other to thereby impart a repulsive force to said permanent magnet.

2. A device for imparting horizontally oscillatory rotating movement to articles comprising an outer oscillator suspended by suspending means of poor torque transmitting characteristics, said outer oscillator carrying an article thereon, an inner oscillator disposed rotatably in said outer oscillator, said inner oscillator also carrying an article thereon, resilient means disposed coaxially with said suspending means for connecting said inner oscillator with said outer oscillator, a pair of suitably spaced pieces of magnetic material provided on one of said oscillators, and an electromagnet provided on the other oscillator, means to energize said electromagnet at a suitable time during the movement of said oscillators relative to each other to thereby impart an attractive force to one of said magnetic pieces.

3. A device for imparting horizontally oscillatory rotating movement to articles comprising an outer oscillator suspended from a stationary member by suspending means of poor torque transmitting characteristics in a substantially balanced state, said outer oscillator carrying an article thereon, an inner oscillator disposed in said outer oscillator for rotation relative to the latter, said inner oscillator also carrying an article thereon, resilient means disposed coaxially with said suspending means for supporting said inner oscillator in a substantially balanced state in said outer oscillator, a permanent magnet fixed at a suitable position on the periphery of said inner oscillator, and an electromagnet provided on said outer oscillator, electrical contacts mounted on said oscillators to be closed when said electromagnet is opposed by said permanent magnet to thereby energize said electromagnet so as to impart a repulsive force to said permanent magnet.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which said permanent magnet is mounted on said outer oscillator and said electromagnet is mounted on said inner oscillator.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,499,632 3/1950 Coake 310-39 2,635,155 4/1953 Bar-r 310-38 2,810,083 10/1957 Dunay 310--32 3,102,974 9/1963 Williams 335-229 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. 

